nagareboshi
by CoriRedde
Summary: Seven years can change a person, especially one who's lost her best friends. With her magic power left behind on Tenroujima, only Lucy's iron will can keep Fairy Tail alive until they return. Because she knows, someday, somehow, he'll come back to her, and he'll put her back together again. Takes place after the events of Tenroujima. Slight AU. NaLu.


_**Nagareboshi**_**: Romanized Japanese for 'Shooting Star'.**

* * *

nagareboshi

A Fairy Tail FanFiction

by Cori Redde

_**Summary: **__Lucy's spirits saved her from Acnologia's attack, returning her to her guild to wait out the seven years without her friends. Her magic, however, remains trapped on the island, and she has to start all over, learning how to fight and how to never give up. She holds the guild on her shoulders, just waiting for the day Natsu comes home again. Slight AU._

* * *

"Hey, Lucy-nee!"

The celestial mage turns toward the voice, her hand resting on a paper pinned to the request board. The one who called out to her is running toward the blonde, his arm waving frantically in the air.

"Romeo," Lucy says, smiling gently at the now thirteen-year-old boy. "How are you?" The boy jumps up next to her, his face set in a determined glare.

"Are you taking another mission, Lucy-nee?" He asks, skipping right past the stellar spirit mage's question. The girl sighs, her shoulders drooping as her fingers trace the letters of the highest paying request.

"I have to," she murmurs quietly, carefully tearing the sheet off the board, "We need the money." Romeo punches a fist in the air.

"Alright! Lucy-nee, aren't you gonna take me with you?" Lucy pats the boy's head, her eyes showing sadness.

"Sorry, Romeo," she whispers, "not this time." The Conbolt boy pouts then, crossing his arms. He mutters a displeased 'fine' and puts up an unaffected front, but Lucy knows better. She remembers those days when smiles were free and careless, when Fairy Tail was a beacon for other guilds to follow., the days when Makarov and Gildarts were pure power, when Natsu, Erza, Gray and Happy were around to break into her own house to make her feel welcome. Those times...those times are long passed. Seven years long passed, actually.

Lucy takes the paper in her hand up to the bar where the fourth master of Fairy Tail sits with a beer already in hand.

"Master," she murmurs gently, passing the request to him, "I'll be taking this one today." Macao sets the mug in his hand down and wipes his mouth. The man grabs the paper from the celestial wizard, his eyes scanning it quickly.

"Are you sure, Lucy?" He inquires, "This will take three days minimum. Why don't you rest a little. You've been working very hard recently." A hand claps the fourth master on the shoulder.

"Macao," Wakaba says, cutting into the impromptu speech, "If the girl says she wants to go, let her go. She was Natsu's partner after all; she knows all about non-stop action." No one bothers to comment on the inflection the smoker uses on partner. Macao hesitates only a moment longer before nodding at Lucy.

"Ok, Lucy, be careful." The girl gives a determined nod, smiling at the fourth master.

"Right!" She says. Her smile does not reach her eyes. She turns and walks toward the exit, slinging her cloak over her shoulders with a flourish. The dark navy of material flutters around her ankles as it settles against her shoulders. The blonde draws the hood up, tucking her hair underneath it. The gold trim flashes in the sunlight, winking in time with each good-bye called to the girl.

"I worry for her," Macao whispers to his drinking buddy when everyone has returned to doing whatever it is they do. Wakaba sighs, smoke spewed in a steady stream from his lips.

"Yeah," the man agrees, "I do too. But she's our only source of income right now. She's the only one keeping this guild from running straight into the ground." There's a little noise next to the two friends when Macao's son hops up onto a stool next to his father.

"Are you talking about Lucy-nee?" He asks needlessly. The fourth master nods solemnly.

"You don't need to worry about her," the younger Conbolt continues, "Lucy-nee's tough." His father picks up his beer again, taking a slow gulp while Wakaba takes a long drag on his pipe.

"Everyone knows that, Romeo," Macao agrees, "She's just...not letting go of _them_." He faces his son, keeping eye contact while he steels himself for his next words.

"Lucy can't accept that they're dead."

Romeo's hand slams down on the counter.

"Shut up!" His lower lip trembles ever so slightly. "Just shut up! They're not dead! I know they're not dead! Lucy-nee promised they're not dead!" And with that, Romeo runs from the guild, rubbing the tears from his face before anyone else can see them.

* * *

_**7 Years Ago - Present**_

_**Tenroujima - New Fairy Tail Guild**_

_Acnologia opened its wide maw, the power it drew up into its mouth shaking the air around the S-Class Trial participants. _

_The Fairy Tail mages took their last defensive stance. They formed a circle, protective and defensive magic building in its center, encouraged by Fried and Levi. Natsu squeezed Lucy's hand one extra time, glancing at her from the corner of his narrowed eyes. The black shone with determination, lending his best friend strength. After a moment of hesitation, Lucy tightened her grip on her teammates hand._

_Then it happened. Acnologia released the energy gathered in its breath. Lucy sucked in a harsh breath, praying with all her might to live, for her friends to live, for Natsu to live. The ground shook violently, many of the Fairy Tail mages falling to their knees, cries of anguish and stubbornness rising around them. _

_"Lucy!" Natsu cried, his voice cracking out in ragged breaks, one eye swollen closed. Rubble and dirt flew around them, stinging their skin. A new, gentle power opened behind the spirit mage, a misplaced eye of the storm. It tugged on her body, drawing her backward. "Lucy, don't leave m-!" Then the dragon slayer's hand slipped from hers and she was thrown somewhere. The wind died down, her wounds repaired. She heard her best friend's desperate cry one last time before darkness consumed her._

_"Lucy!"_

_When the celestial mage awoke, she was surrounded by the many worried faces of her spirits. She sat up quickly, ignoring the pain in her head and chest. She demanded explanations irrationally, planning to allow her magic power to flare up and force her contracted spirits to obey her, such was her anger. Instead, she fell to her knees, Loke's quick reflexes the only thing keeping her from smashing her head against the floor. Her arms came up to hug herself as tears started to slip down her face. _

_"H-how dare you!" She sobs weakly, her body shaking from fatigue and crying. "How dare you save me! I'm supposed to be with them! With Gray and Erza and Cana! With Natsu!" She pounded her fist against the lion spirit's chest, or attempted to. He caught her wrists._

_"We had to, Lucy," he said. His voice was withdrawn, and his eyes diverted toward the ground, avoiding her own accusing ones. Lucy stopped her struggles to look at each of her spirits individually._

_"Y-you guys..."_

_"We know how much you love them, Lucy," Loke continued, his words accompanied by the rest of the surrounding spirits' nods and murmurs of agreement. "But we love you too; we couldn't let you be trapped for all time."_

_"Trapped?" The celestial bodies refused to explain Loke's words to her, under orders from their leader himself. After explaining that their master's magic was lost back on Tenroujima and she would have to start all over again, the spirits returned her keys. They sent Lucy back that very same day, but it was one month after the guild's disappearance that she returned alone. _

_The remaining members of the guild celebrated, throwing a huge party. Lucy's appearance caused the rest of the guild to expect their guild mates to return every month or so, but after six months without anyone else's return, those hopes were dashed. As the rest of Fiore learned of Fairy Tail's loss, the once proud guild fell into disarray. The glue holding the whole thing together was Lucy._

_The celestial mage took up the habit of her former teammate: she went on job after job, searching. She never found him, though the solo work did give her time to really learn how to fight. Even as Fairy Tail became Fiore's weakest guild, Lucy became the one clients sent job requests to. After a time, her magic power returned to its original state and she commenced training with her spirits. Sometimes, she would disappear for months at a time, her location unknown to the guild. Her absences gave another guild in the area, Twilight Ogre, the chance to terrorize Fairy Tail, taking their money for so-called protection. It broke Lucy's heart, but there was nothing she could do alone against an entire guild, or so she believed._

_Seven years of this, and Lucy couldn't believe some of the changes in the guild. Alzack and Bisca getting hitched and having the most adorable little girl shocked the celestial mage so hard, she was convinced to stay home for a week from her constant missions. Watching Romeo grow up to be the little brother she never had, and a small version her lost best friend nearly brought her to tears the few times she took him on missions with her. Most shocking of all was the fact that, though seven years had passed, Lucy hadn't changed a bit. She still appeared like her seventeen year old self. _

_She missed her friends dearly, begging the stars (which she realized was odd because she had contracts with a good number of them) for their safe return. Never once, though she cried herself to sleep often, did she ever doubt that her friends, that Natsu, was still alive._

* * *

The men in front of Lucy are all mean looking, their muscles bulging and lips sneering.

"What do you think you're doing?" She demands of them, hood covering her face and cloak still closed around her body.

They laugh at her, the client's jewels scattered around their cave of a guild. The job is a mission that would have been perfect for team Natsu: a detective mission to solve who had been robbing the client, a rich noble living on the outskirts of Fiore, followed by the recovery of said precious stones by force. She almost wishes she had allowed Romeo to come with her; watching the kid beat up men three times his size is always amusing.

"Eh, look fellas," one of the guys growls, "little missy's come ta stop us." He stands and nears the celestial mage, his foul breath creeping up under her hood. "What guild cha from, sweet'eart?" He leans in close to Lucy's face, his smile widening as he sees the beautiful face cast in shadow underneath it.

"Fairy Tail," Lucy answers calmly, her magical power starting to flow, making her cloak flap all around her. The gold trim glows in the golden light of her celestial power. The cloak flows behind her shoulders and reveals her mini-dress clad body. Every single one of the men's stares turn lecherous even as they laugh mockingly.

"Fairy Tail?" Says the leader. "Ya're from dat ol' shit of a guild?" The hood flies back. "Too pretty for them." Lucy throws them a classic smile.

"Well, thank you," she says, "but I'm afraid that flattery isn't going to save you." She throws out her leg, catching the tall man in the face with a well placed kick. He slams into the rock wall of the cave, blood pouring from his broken nose.

"Ya little bitch!" Yells another member of the thieves, running forward with a knife in hand. The weapon is snapped from his grip with the snap of a whip, his knuckles starting to bleed.

Lucy's smile is faintly reminiscent of Erza's glare. "Sorry, but anyone who speaks poorly of Fairy Tail is my enemy." She holds out both hands, two keys glittering into existence. It's a poor copy of the Titania's magic, reequipping her keys from the pouch at her belt, but it saves her the time of digging out the key she wants.

"Open, Gate of the Lion; open, Gate of the Ram!" Two beautiful magic circles open at her sides, the explosion of celestial gates opening throwing back the oncoming thieves.

"Loke!" Lucy cries, "Aires!"

"I'm sorry," Aires mumbles into her hand.

"Hello, Princess Lucy," Loke teases, "needing your prince in shining armor again?" Lucy rolls her eyes, fixing her hands into fists around the golden keys.

"Take them all out," she orders, "with the three of us, this should be easy."

"I'll show you easy!" The men launch themselves toward Lucy, weapons in their grips and spittle flying from their mouths. Lucy sighs. Her hand closes over the wrist of the first punch she ducks. She pulls the man down and uses his momentum to smash his face into the ground while leaping off his back to plant her feet in another thief's face. She frowns at the blood on her boots. Another attacker attempts to catch her from behind, his knife whistling through the air. Lucy whirls, her hair flying around her. Her forearm smashes into the man's elbow, snapping it backwards. The feel of air on her neck alerts her to the one thing she hates: an unexpected haircut.

"Bastards," Lucy growls under her breath, turning on her heel for the next opponent. There's only one left, his eyes narrowed to avoid the glare of Loke's rings. With simultaneous nods, the two spirits back off a step, allowing their master the honor of the final take down.

Lucy's magic flares up, and suddenly, it escalates, doubling in quantity. The force of it alone knocks the remaining thief on his ass. Lucy takes one jump and lands with her fist at his temple. The man slumps, tongue lolling out. Mission successful. The only question: what just happened? It feels as though the power that had been locked on Tenroujima had come back to her. Could it be? Lucy refuses to get her hopes up.

"I'm sorry!" Aires cries. Lucy smiles gently at her.

"You were great, Aires." Loke's hand lands on his master's shoulder.

"And you, Lucy," he starts seriously, "were stunning." Naturally, he ends it by running his nose along her ear. Lucy sighs and rolls her eyes.

"Alright, Loke, that's enough for you." His gate closes then, the lion spirit smiling teasingly at his owner.

"Want to head back too, Aires?" Lucy asks of the gentle spirit. The pink-haired celestial body nods her head.

"I'm sorry," she repeats. Lucy presses a hand to her forehead. Waving the key and allowing it dissipate with the spirit. Lucy takes moment to breathe, walking carelessly on the men as she goes around gathering up the stolen jewels and placing them in a box the client had given her.

"Well," she muses out loud, "at least I get full pay for this one." Her heart pangs a little that she doesn't have to have the pay deducted from property damage. She notices her shaggy hair in her reflection of one of the far-too-large jewels she picks up.

"I really need to call Cancer," she sighs. Then she face palms. "Don't I have to take all these guys back to my client?" A quick check of the job description confirms that one.

"Damn it."

Lucy had never been one for swearing, but in Natsu's absence, she felt she needed to fill the back of his own use of the unrefined terms. She pulls out another gold key, Taurus, before realizing it is his day off.

"Aw, crap."

* * *

"Alright, time's up, fairies," Teebo, a member of Twilight Ogre, an ugly guy with a huge club, "pay up."

Macao marched toward the members of Twilight Ogre. In the days before the loss of Fairy Tail's greatest mages, he would have had an expression of utmost confidence on his face. For that matter, seven years ago, no crap guild like Twilight Ogre would ever dare _look_ at the Fairy Tail guild. Today, he approaches them with downcast eyes.

"Don't have it, do you?" Another one of Twilight Ogre sneers, "Not surprising for a shithole like this." Every member of Fairy Tail grimaces. They expected Lucy back today, but she had yet to arrive. If she were already back, they wouldn't have to deal with Twilight Ogre. She'd fight them off with that glare she had picked up from her time with Team Natsu.

"W-we can get it," Macao argues, "we just need a little more-gah!" He takes the punch the stomach, ignoring the pain.

"Dad!" Romeo yells, sprinting forward. He raises a fist, fire erupting around his palm.

"Damn it!" He screams, his voice cracking. He hasn't reached the group from Twilight Ogre when Teebo is suddenly flung across the guild to smack into the opposite wall with a horridly embarrassing cry. The other members of his guild follow suit, familiar magic power rising in the air.

There's a little demonic laugh. Everyone gasps; they know that voice.

"We're back!"

Natsu.

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting!"

Happy.

Cheers erupt around the guild, a bit of that old rowdiness returned. The lost members of Fairy Tail fill up the tiny guild hall with warmth and presence. It feels almost like home again. The boisterous laughter and calls of 'welcome home' echo off the walls of the significantly smaller guild than the one the Tenroujima group left seven years ago.

The mages of Twilight Ogre stand shakily, their knees trembling under the force of the glares of the powerful, returned Fairy Tail wizards' glares. Teebo, holding onto shreds of his dignity (his girly cry was not so nice to his reputation), attempted to march to the doors of the Fairy Tail guild hall. Cana's already emptied barrel of celebratory alcohol smacked him in the head.

"Another!" The card-mage yelled, "Been seven years sober, and that's far too much!" Mirajane was at her side almost immediately, hoisting a barrel of quality Fairy Tail aged wine on one shoulder and a tray of mugs on the opposite hand. The mad rush for an impromptu party (not that Fairy Tail is a stranger to them, plans not quite their 'thing') had mages accidentally kicking and shoving the stumbling Twilight Ogre members out the door with fearful faces.

Fairy tail makes sure all of Magnolia can hear their celebration.

* * *

Lucy, a crisp banknote sucked securely into her belt, entered her home town, Magnolia, with her hood back up over her face and cloak draped over her shoulders. She finds the mystery of an unidentifiable person keeps others out of her way and allows her to complete her task much faster: get back to the guild, get her share of the money, and take another job. She'd take Romeo with her this time; the kid needs the exercise. However, upon her reaching the trail that leads to her guild, she realizes the faint buzzing in her head has become a full-fledged roar.

It's coming from Fairy Tail.

She takes a deep breath, hiding her magic power so as not to broadcast her presence. If the guild finally decides to party, she won't stop them, but she's not in the mood for celebration. Completing the Team-Natsu-perfect mission drained her with the memories it brought up and confused her with the doubling of her magic power.

Her quiet steps slow as she steals herself to enter the sadly empty hall. The cheering is impressive, she notices. Her face falls into a small frown. She hasn't smiled in a while; the pout is very comfortable to her now. Then she hears it: a laugh that makes her heart skip a beat. Her eyes are drawn to the pink guild stamp on her hand. Could it be?

She storms forward and throws open the guild doors.

"What's going on here?!"

Silence. It resounds in the hall. Everyone inside turns to face the newcomer. The voice is distinctly female, but the cloak conceals the identity of the speaker.

Lucy raises her head from its bowed position and feels her eyes open impossibly wide at the guild members in front of her. She can see Mirajane and Erza, Gray and Juvia, Master Makarov and Gildarts, Levy and Gajeel, Laxus and the Raijinshuu. She stumbles a little into the center of the guild. The silence is deafening, acting like a cushion around her. The people she missed so dearly are all here around her. There's just one missing. The one she wants to see the most.

The guild doors slam shut. Lucy freezes in her place, cloak still concealing her face and body. She can't bring herself to pull back the hood and break this illusion.

"Oi!" She hears. The yell comes from the direction of the entrance doors; she assumes the speaker is the one who slammed them shut again. "Who are you?"

She knows that voice.

Lucy whirls around, her cloak flying up around her. The hood remains covering her face, but she can't move any further to remove it. She gasps a little.

There, right there, is Natsu. His nose twitches curiously at the scent she's sure her spin threw around the room. His eyes are wide and disbelieving, mouth open in the smallest 'o' of surprise. Everything is silent, fading out around Lucy. All she can see is _him. _

The dragon slayer takes a hesitant step towards her, his eyes a shining.

"L-Luce?" He breathes, "Is that...is that really you?" Lucy watches his halting steps become more sure and confident as he nears her, but they never increase in speed. She can't believe she's actually seeing him again, yet he's here. He looks exactly the same as the last time she saw him; his magic power is warm in the air around him.

Natsu stops in front of her, an unsure smile stuck to his handsome face. His hands, shaking a little, raise up to barely touch the edge of her hood. He takes another breath and a gulp before taking a firmer grip on the gold trimming and pushing the navy cloak back. He freezes a little, shocked at the same face from seven years ago staring back at him. His thumb brushes along her cheek, and his fingers are tickled by the ends of her significantly shorter hair.

"Y-you...Luce...Lucy," he stutters out, hands falling to her shoulders. Lucy's eyes are wide. The celestial mage can feel her heartbeat starting to race in happiness and a small twinge of nerves at being so close to her long lost friend. Her eyes trace out the slight dimples in his cheeks and the shadows cast on his face from his unruly hair. Her own breathing hitches in her chest as she forces herself to understand that Natsu is back. She slowly, hesitantly, lifts up a small hand to touch him, to assure herself that he is really there. She stretches her arm out, pauses, fingers curling in hesitation, then she pushes past her reservations and flattens her hand against his chest. She can feel the rhythm of his heart beat against her palm, feel it speeding up under her touch, feel the warmth of his skin through his shirt.

Lucy nods then, a slow, motion that is really meant to display all the words she can't say. Her voice is lost in the turmoil of relief and unbridled joy shoving her heart into her throat. She lifts her other hand then, cupping it gently on her best friend's face. He is frozen, eyes locked on her, neither leaning toward or away from her touch. The hand on his chest trails up to his other cheek, her fingers running across his neck, feeling the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallows thickly. She can feel his warm breath tickle the skin of her wrists. Tears prick behind her eyes. Her lips part the slightest bit, her voice sticking in her throat. It's a hoarse whisper, but she manages it.

"Natsu."

Their eyes meet as she speaks his name. It's like a dam has broken, her tears falling freely from her eyes as the happiest smile she can muster tugs up the corners of her mouth. She feels like a magic circle herself, shining brightly. To say his name to him, to greet him after so long, she can almost pretend she was never without him. She can play like the seven years were a dream instead of harsh reality.

"Yes," she continues, her words shaky, "Yes, it's me. Natsu." She can't resist saying his name again. The dragon slayer lunges forward, his strong arms folding around her waist. He spins, crushing Lucy to him. His laugh is happy, possibly the brightest sound Lucy's ever heard. She thinks back in blurred colors of all the fun times they had together before their period of separation. Lucy laughs too, squealing a little at each rotation Natsu makes. When he stops spinning them, he's smiling that huge, cocky grin at her, the one that lights up his whole face and everyone's around him. She missed that grin. It's so infectious. She wonders if her cheeks will start to ache from smiling so much after not smiling at all for so long.

"I'm back, Lucy," Natsu says, his voice loud again, "Didja miss me?"

Lucy's arms are around his neck, fingers toying with the ends of his hair. Her feet still aren't on the ground, and she has a feeling her partner won't let her go until she admits she has missed him. She contemplates denying the truth so that Natsu will continue to hold her for just a few seconds more.

"Idiot," she whispers, happy tears leaking off her face to drop onto her best friend's cheeks, "Of course I did." Natsu, as Lucy had predicted, drops her then, holding her at arm length. He breathes in deeply, feeling her magic power as it pulses alongside his own.

"You're stronger," he states, his head tipping sideways, "Will you fight me now?" Lucy punches his shoulder then, knuckles just brushing the edges of his guild mark.

"You never change," she moans in mock depression, still laughing. Natsu proclaims that he won't ever change, crossing his arms like a pouting child. Lucy only laughs harder, clutching her stomach.

"I felt my magic come back," she wheezes out between giggles, "and I never expected it to mean this! That everyone has returned! But you cares? I'm just so happy you're back!" She throws her arms back around her friend, squeezing tightly around his waist. She buries her face against his chest, fingers pressed closely to his back. Natsu dips his head, nose skimming her blonde hair. She revels in the warmth of his closeness.

"They like each other!" Then the spell is broken, Happy's meddlesome voice popping the bubble around Natsu and Lucy and letting the rest of the guild's happy cheers mingle with their laughter.

"Damn cat!" Lucy shouts, breaking away from her best friends. Her voice lacks venom in the face of her overwhelming happiness. Happy flies away, huge crocodile tears falling down his cheeks.

"Natsu! Lucy's gonna kill me!" The guild roars with laughter, members pushing around each other to get more drinks, to party harder, to be merry. Lucy continues to cry tears of joy and laugh until her sides hurt as she is reunited with Erza, Cana, Gray, and Levy. She hugs each of them fiercely. She shows her version of the reequip to Erza and demonstrates her much improved Lucy Kick on a slightly too touchy Master Makarov. She dances with her friends and finally takes the time to have a well deserved drink. Amidst the chaos, the glass of her favorite strawberry-vodka punch resting empty in her grip, Lucy feels a hand close around her wrist.

"Come on," Natsu's voice says near her ear. Lucy hums in agreement, depositing her empty cup on the counter. She allows herself to be pulled out of the guild's back doors by the dragon slayer. He tosses her cloak over her shoulders as they exit, the cool air of the night making her shiver.

"Where are we going?" Lucy whispers, running alongside her friend. He's let go of her wrist, but he has this aura around him that's telling her to keep up. So she does. Natsu laughs, throwing back his head a little. He tosses his grin over his shoulder at her.

"Mission!" He says. It's then that Lucy notices the request stuffed in his fist.

"This late!?" Lucy shouts in indignation. Natsu watches her pull her hood up in the shadow cast by the streetlamps. He knows she's just as ready as he is to fight along each other again.

"Eh?" He calls back, turning a corner at full speed, "It's because I'm seven years late that we need to go now!" His skin is smoking a little already in his excitement, and her keys seem to glow at her hip. "We've got a lot of catching up to do! And when we get back, I'm crashing at your place because your bed is the best, and you always have food, and I kind-of want to take a shower with that spicy shampoo you got the other week...or was it seven years and week ago? Oh! And you need to take me to that new bar that opened up! I saw it when we were coming back through Magnolia. I didn't expect the guild to be so small, but I kind-of like it. It's really nice to be so close together in there! Mira will be happy to not have such a huge space to clean. I wonder if jii-chan ..."

The sun is setting as they race out of Magnolia at full speed, finally together again.

* * *

**Review, please! Hope you enjoyed! :)**


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